


Too Many Secrets, Too Many Lies

by tj_teejay



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Defenders (Marvel TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Gap Filler, Gen, Matt Murdock (mentioned) - Freeform, Missing Scene, Phone Calls & Telephones, Spoilers, The Punisher (TV 2017) Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2019-02-15 07:05:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13025787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tj_teejay/pseuds/tj_teejay
Summary: Karen gets an unexpected phone call from Foggy, who is apparently worried after hearing about all the shit she was involved in. Takes place after the events of episode 10 of The Punisher (spoiler warning).





	Too Many Secrets, Too Many Lies

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my Daredevil Bingo prompt Vigilante Stalking.

“You stupid piece of shit!” Karen mutters under her breath.

Her work computer has a mind of its own sometimes. She’d been meaning to ask the IT guy to take a look at it, but then there was always that next deadline, that thing to research online, that story to chase down.

She has another volley of swear words at the tip of her tongue, when her cell pulls her attention away from the piece of technology she’s come to rely on. The screen reads, ‘Foggy’. She frowns.

Should she answer it? Foggy hasn’t been in touch for weeks. It’s not that they parted on bad terms. It’s just been… difficult. His easy acceptance of Matt’s death had made her angry at first, and it just somehow trickled into a long stretch of radio silence.

She stares at the phone for another second, then swipes the green icon. “Foggy,” she says, trying to keep her voice neutral.

“Karen? Thank God.”

She frowns again. His reaction seems odd. Then she remembers. It’s been just two days since the room exploded around her and Senator Ori, two days since she was dragged through corridors by a deranged veteran who blew himself to smithereens in front of her eyes—hers and Frank’s.

Foggy’s voice asks, “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she says almost automatically. The cuts on her face suddenly sting just a little bit.

“Brett called me today. He mentioned an explosion. Are you sure you’re all right?”

“A few cuts and bruises, that’s all.”

“Okay,” Foggy sounds somewhat relieved. “Should I be asking what happened?”

“Have you been following the news?”

“Yeah. Your newspaper stories, too. This is about the Punisher, isn’t it?”

“Yes and no.” She wants to keep it vague, because there’s so much history there, even though she knows that, if anyone, Foggy probably deserves more than a cheap, dismissive cover-up tale.

“Do you need a lawyer?”

The question seems very out of the blue, and she almost wants to laugh because it’s a little ridiculous. “What? No. Why would I need a lawyer?”

“I don’t know. It, uh… Brett wasn’t exactly forthcoming when it came to the details, ongoing investigation and everything. But they suspect you know where Frank Castle is. Which, until yesterday, I would have found ridiculous. Now, not so much.”

This is dangerous territory she doesn’t want to tread. “I don’t know where Frank Castle is, and no, I don’t need a lawyer.”

“Which begs the question why you were even in cahoots with Castle in the first place.”

She shakes her head, even though Foggy can’t see it. “I’m not _in cahoots_ with Frank, Foggy.”

“But you were in contact with him. Even before that cop cam caught him. Please don’t lie to me.”

“So what if I was?”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Karen. Castle is dangerous. He’s a wolf in a sheep’s skin. He knows how to manipulate people. Not to mention he’s kinda deranged. You need to stay away from him as far as you possibly can.”

Now she’s just getting annoyed. “Yes, thanks, Foggy,” she says sarcastically, “I really need the parental advice.”

She can hear Foggy sucking in a long-suffering breath at the other end. “Why? Why would you associate with someone like him?”

“‘Associate’ is a strong word. He came to me for help. I— God, Foggy, it’s hard to explain.”

“Well, it’s pretty simple to _me_. He’s a psychopath. A heavily armed, out-of-control vigilante psychopath. You remember what happened at the trial, right? That alone should have taught you to stay the hell away from him. And you know what? If Matt were here, he’d tell you the same thing.”

That— That’s a low blow. She wants to hang up without another word, but instead she hears herself reply, “Yeah, well, guess what. Matt’s not here, and I wouldn’t need his condescending bullshit any more than yours.

“What is it with you and your damsel-in-distress syndromes? I can very well take care of myself, and I can also make decisions and judgments for myself. And if Frank was as unhinged as you painted him to be, he’d have killed me by now. You know what he did instead? He saved my fucking life.”

That seems to have stunned Foggy into silence. She feels a little bit of satisfaction over that. “Not so glib now, are we, Counselor?”

“I, uh… I don’t know what to say,” he answers honestly after a short pause.

“That seems to be the predominant theme between the two of us these days.”

Foggy sighs at the other end. “Yeah. How did this happen?”

“I think our problem is that we know too much. Too many secrets, too many lies.”

“Too many vigilantes,” Foggy adds.

She lowers her head. Not enough, where she’s concerned. At least when it comes to the one in the ridiculous red costume who also saved her life more than once, and whose identity he’d revealed to her in a moment of bravery and honesty. She briefly wishes she could have returned the favor. It was too late now.

“God, I miss him,” she says in a low voice.

“Yeah,” Foggy’s tone mirrors hers. “Me too.”

“We should catch up.”

“Yes, we should. Got any plans for lunch tomorrow?”

She considers it, but truthfully? She’s already made up her mind. “Looks like I do now.”

“Awesome. Where?”

She has a thought. She hasn’t been there since… since that strange, amazing evening. “There’s a little Indian place in East Village. I’ll text you the address.”

“Okay, cool. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sounds good. I’m glad you called.”

“Yeah, me too.”

They sign off, and she stares at her phone for a long moment. She should spend more time with Foggy, should make more of an effort. He might be just as lonely as she is.

She knows he’s one of the good guys. Maybe too good—for both Matt _and_ her. Still, she decides that he’s worth keeping close as she pulls up her calendar on her phone and saves the appointment of her lunch date with Foggy.


End file.
